My wife (Sam) and I
had just returned from a vacation in Germany during July, 1999.
I had gotten the bug to purchase a new car, and had my eye set
on a BMW 318ti (don't ask me why). We were out in my 84 Firebird
driving from car lot to car lot looking for the perfect BMW for
me. With no success dealing with any of the snobby BMW dealers
around Louisville, we decided to head home. On the way home, a
guy in a beautiful black 98 WS6 passed us by and threw me a rev.
I decided we should stop by and see what was going on at Cross
Pontiac. As we pulled onto the lot, my eyes were drawn to a
gorgeous red Firebird. The hood looked a little different, so my
wife and I started over that way. As I got closer, I realized
that the car was a 99 model Firehawk (one of the first produced
since the LS1 was introduced, since there were
no
official 98 models). My mouth wide open, and almost in a trance,
I ran over to the car to examine it. I peered inside, and saw
that it was a 6 speed. At that moment, I forgot everything I had
read, seen, or heard about the BMW. My wife knew that look, and
we decided we should buy the car. It was a Sunday, and the
dealership was closed so I tossed and turned all night. Ever since
I saw my first Firehawk in 1991, I wished to own one myself.
This would be my chance! The odds of finding a Firehawk sitting
on a dealer lot were next to nothing, but it was there.

The next morning when I got to work, I called the
dealership and asked to speak with someone about buying a
Firebird. I was transferred to Jeremy Jones, who was their
resident Firebird expert. After BSing with him for a few
minutes, and reviewing the inventory they had, he hadn't
mentioned the Hawk. I asked him if they ever got in any
Firehawks. He paused for a second, and said "we actually have a
used one sitting on our lot". "Used?" I asked in a confused
tone. "Yes, we got it in a couple weeks ago. It has 9500 miles
on it. It's a red six speed." After arranging to meet with
Jeremy later on that day to test drive it, I called my wife to
coordinate.

We arrived at the dealership, and Jeremy
grabbed the keys. I put the key in, and cranked the ignition.
The LS1 roared to life, and a grin slowly spread over my face.
We went for a short drive, and after seeing no problems with how
the car drove, we went back to the lot to talk some more. I
opened the hood, the trunk, and all the doors so I could examine
it thoroughly. It was evident that the car was used. Someone had
spilled some soda on the carpet, the interior was still pretty
dirty, and there were a couple scratches in the paint. However,
having been around cars my whole life, these were things I would
be able to easily correct. I pointed out all the issues, hoping
to help reduce the asking price (they were asking full sticker
for the car, even though it was 3 months old and had 9500 miles
on it (plus the 5 miles I put on it test driving it).

We went inside, and Jeremy asked me if I would
like to buy the car. They were asking $33,000 and I told him
that was way too much money for the car. I advised him of my
best offer or I would simply go and order a
brand new one
from somewhere else for a little more money. He said he would
ask his manager, but seriously doubted they would come down that
much. After waiting about 5 minutes, he came back and told me
the best they could do would be $31,000. My wife and I decided
we would look elsewhere. As badly as I wanted that car, there
was no way I would pay close to full sticker for a used car.

I was understandably dejected. I moped the
entire evening. I second-guessed myself. I told my wife if I
could just get them down a bit more I'd be over there to sign
the paperwork immediately. I didn't sleep well that night
either. However, when I got to work the next morning, my phone
rang almost immediately. It was Jeremy, and he had been working with his boss some
more, and their final offer would be right within my price
range. I sat there in
disbelief. I told him I would be over after lunch to sign the
paperwork. Sam and I got to the dealership about 3pm, and I told
them not to clean my car or let anyone drive it. We signed all
the papers, and we drove off. I absolutely couldn't believe that
I was only 26 years old and driving my dream car!

Here's the ad I scanned out of the local
Autotrader:

I was able to contact
SLP (Street
Legal Performance) for some information on my car. They sent
me a letter documenting the build number (156) and the build
date (February 4, 1999). My car was built with the base Firehawk
package, chrome wheels, and embroidered floor mats as the only
options. Original sticker on the car with SLP options was close
to $34,000.

I have since done many, many
mods
to the car for both appearance and performance. While some may
think modifying a rare car like this is a bad idea, I wouldn't
have it any other way. I kept every stock part from the car, and
if I ever decide to put it back to stock will have no problems
doing so.

I later ran a Carfax report on my
car. You can access it by clicking
HERE.